[raynor]

When you look at other space games, typically the AI is given less than a 100% bonus at the highest level of difficulty. (twice the production). In Space Empires IV, an easy game is played with that level of bonus. An average game is played with medium bonus. A hard game is played with high bonus (or 5x production.)

At that level, yes, I would agree it is extremely hard to beat the AI--especially in small galaxies.

But I would argue that the very definition of small, medium and high bonus is the strongest evidence of a poor AI.

Similarly, if the game has any AI at all, then it should win just as easily on a huge map as on a small map. Granted, it will take longer. The fact that you say that isn't so makes me think that its wins on smaller maps are more coincidence than anything else.

Let me hasten a couple of things. First, the TDM races are TONS better than the ones installed by default. I think it is a mistake to play the game without them. Second, the AI *is* getting better. I still remember when the AI built mostly research stations on a huge 150% mineral world.

But the AI never has and never will make effective use of half the cool features that are available to the human players in the multiplayer game. In that context, and if Gal Civ *does* turn out to have the AI they are promising, I may prefer a subset of features but an AI that uses all of them to an infinite array of features but an AI that can't use most of them.

[ March 11, 2003, 01:02: Message edited by: raynor ]